Dispensing closure composed of two telescoping parts relatively movable between two positions by snap action



Nov; 18, 1952 H. B. ELLEFSON DISPENSING cLosuRE COMPOSED OF` Two TELESCOBING PARTS-.RELATHELY' MOVABLE BETWEEN Two- POSITIONS BY SNAP ACTION Filed July 16, 1948 l 'INVENTORQ v HfefffafFso/g Patented Nov. 1s, 1952 UNITED s"'rarr-;s PATENT OFFICE 2,618,415 iiisPENsNG CLOSQUBE ooMPOsED or TWO TELESooPING PARTS RELATIVELY Mov- ABLE BETWEEN TWO POSITIONS BY SNAP ACTION Herbert is. Emerson, oklahoma city, Okla.

Applieation July 1s, 194s, serial No. 39,121

z 2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in dispensing closure caps for collapsible paste tubes and more particularly to an improved dispensing cap to be ksubstituted for the Screw ycap originally y 4 provided with such tubes and remain permanently attached to the tube until the tube contents are entirely dispensed. Y

The inconvenience of the screw-'threaded closure caps ordinarily provided on collapsible paste tubes is well known, s uch caps requiring time and skill to remove and replace them and being frequently lost Orforgotten. Such conventional caps also frequently come o the tubes when the tubes are packed in baggage for traveling, allowing the contents of the tubes to spill, and usually cause the extrusion and wastage of a small amount of the tube vcontents each time one of them is replaced on a tube. v I

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide an improved dispensing closure cap for collapsible paste tubes to replace the screw caps conventionally provided for closing such tubes which dispensing closure cap is permanently retained on a collapsible tube while the tube contents are being used, but may be removed, if desired, when thetube contents are exhausted and installed on a new tube, which is opened and closed by a simple reciprocating movement of one of its parts in a manner which reduiresan insignificant amount of time and so little Skill that it can be Opened and closed'vby a small child, that utilizes a `minimum number of simple parts formed of inexpensive materials, provides a tight and secure closure for the tube, and is durable in construction, economical to manufacture, and neat and attractive in appearance. Y

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claims in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a longitudinal medial cross-section of a dispensing closure cap illustrative of the invention shown attached to the screw-threaded neck of a conventional collapsible paste tube;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the dispensing cap section on a plane substantially at right angles to the cross-sectional plane of Figure 1 and shown partly in elevation;

Figure 3 is an elevation of the outer member of the improved closure cap illustrated in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is an elevation of the inner member of the improved closure cap.

With continued reference to the drawing, and

2 Y particularly to Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, the numeral II! generally designates a conventional, co'l; lapsible paste tube having a 'somewhat conical end wall II from the apex of which extends the externally screw-threaded neck or spout I2 of fthe tube. A conventional screw cap, not illustrated, is normally applied to the neck I2 to close the paste dispensing opening through the neck.

In accordance with the present invention, the screw cap conventionally provided to close the spout I2 of the tube is discarded and the improved dispensing closure cap, generally indicated at I3, is substituted therefor and left permanently attached to the tube neck or spout until the contents of the tube have been exhausted.v

The improved dispensing cap comprises an ine ner body I4 of cylindrical shape having one open end and a Semi-spherical end wall at the opposite end. This body I4 is provided adjacent its open end with an internal annular 'recess I5 .within which is secured a cylindrical sleeve IE of resilient material adapted to be threaded Onto the external screw threads of the tube neck I2;V This sleeve may be made of relatively soft, resilient material, such as rubber, and left entirely unthreaded so that it can be threadedupoh any of the various types of threads provided bydiifer'ent tube manufacturers, or it cari be made of a somewhat harder material and provided with threads adapted to receive the threads of a particular type of tube, or, in some cases inay be dispensed with entirely. If the sleeve I6 is omitted the body I4 will be somewhat thickened adjacent its open end and provided with internal screw threads adapted to receive the threads of tubes of a par'- ticular type of manufacture in 'the' event the dise pensing caps are provided for a particular prodn uct. v

Externally the body I is provided with two diametrically-opposed, longitudinally-extending grooves I'I which extend from the open end of the body for a portion of the length of the cylindrical part of the body, and a respective rounded abutment I8 is provided in each of these grooves intermediate the length thereof. Midway between the grooves I'I the inner body I4 is provided with a longitudinally-extending ridge I9 extend ing from the open end of the body and beyond the inner end of this ridge with a rectangular outlet aperture 2B. The inner body Ill is preferably formed of a suitable synthetic resin plastic material for economy in manufacture, durability in use and attractiveness of appearance, but other materials, such as metal Or hard rubber may be used if found to be more practical or economical.

The outer body 2| has a shape similar to and slidably receives the inner body I4, but preferably has a wall thickness materially less than the wall thickness of the inner body. This outer body is provided with a rectangular outlet aperture 22 of substantially the same size and shape as the aperture of the inner body and so positioned that the two apertures 20 and 22 are out of registry with each other, as clearly illustrated in Figure 2, when the outer body is in its inward or closing position relative to the inner body. When the outer body is pulled outwardly of 'the inner body to its outer limiting position the two apertures 2|! and 22 are in registry with each other so that the contents of the tube I9 can be forced out through these registering apertures by applying pressure to the body of the collapsible tube. In addition to the aperture 22 the outer body is provided with a longitudinally-extending slot 23 between the aperture 22 and the open end of the outer body which slot receives the ridge i9 on the inner body and this slot and ridge maintain the two bodies against relative rotation while permitting sliding movements oi the outer body on the inner body in both directions. The outer body is also provided with two rounded indentations 2&3 near the open end thereof which indentations are diametrically opposed and in alignment with the grooves of the inner body and provide detents cooperating with the inner body abutments I 8. When the outer body is in its inner or closing position relative to |the inner body the detents 24 bear against the sides of the rounded abutments I8 adjacent the open end of the inner body to resiliently hold the outer body in its inner or closing position relative to the inner body. When the outer body is pulled outwardly the detents 24 pass over the abutments I8 and spring into the recesses between the sides of these abutments opposite the open end of the inner body and the inner ends of the grooves |l to resiliently hold the outer body in its outer` or capopening position relative to the inner body. The inner ends of the grooves are provided with sharp shoulders which frictionally engage the detents 24 to effectively prevent separation of the two bodies Hand 2|. The outer body 2| is also preferably formed of a suitable synthetic resin plastic material having the necessary resiliency or flexibility to provide for the resilient operation of the detents 24 in cooperation with the abutmen-ts |8, as explained above.

What is claimed is:

1. A dispensing closure cap for a collapsible paste tube having a threaded dispensing neck, comprising, an inner member having a closed end and an open end, a resilient adapter engaged on the neck of the tube and means mounting the open end of the inner member on said adapter, said inner member having a discharge opening, an outer member cooperatively arranged in telescoping fashion on the inner member and having a closed end and an open end, said outer member having a discharge opening selectively communicable with the opening in the inner member for the passage of paste therethrough, cooperative means on the open ends of the members for preventing rotation thereof during the axial movement of the outer member relative to an opening position for operative communication of the discharge openings and locking means cooperatively arranged on said members for -releasably retaining said outer member on the inner member in a closed and open position, said locking means including inwardly extending resilient detents on the outer member and outwardly extending abutment members formed on the inner member.

2. A dispensing closure cap for collapsible paste tubes comprising a cylindrically shaped hollow inner body having a closed end and an open end and having an outlet aperture therein and an external recess providing a rounded abutment intermediate the length thereof, a resilient sleeve Viixed in the open end of said body and adapted to receive the neck of a collapsible tube, and a cylindrically shaped hollow outer body having a closed end and slidably receiving said inner body in its open end, said outer body having an outlet aperture therein selectively alignable with the outlet aperture in said inner body when said closure cap is open for the discharge of paste therethrough, and detents on said outer body resiliently engaging the abutment on said inner body to releasably hold said outer body in its closed and open positions relative to said inner body and maintain said bodies against complete axial separation.

HERBERT B. ELLEFSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are ci record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,548,118 Densmore Aug. 4, 1925 1,593,025 MacDonald July 20, 1926 1,612,719 Haddad Dec.28,1926 1,760,946 Hammerstein June 3, 1930 1,958,414 Bogeaus May 15, 1934 1,958,429 Hartog May 15, 1934 1,970,505 Parkin Aug. 14, 1934 2,082,527 Taylor June l, 1937 2,109,720 Deschner Mar. 1, 1938 2,216,347 Humbard Oct. 1, 1940 2,327,406 Dukehart Aug. 24, 1943 2,418,348 Hermann Apr. 1, 1947 

